


comes understanding

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: 1-million-words, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 09:05:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20690945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: With a surprise comes understanding.





	comes understanding

**Author's Note:**

> For September comment Fic, day 16, no more surprises.

When Cho let the front door slam loudly behind him, he only felt the slightest bit guilty. Walking into the living room, he followed his usual routine, locking his badge and gun securely in the safe beside the ones already there before taking off his suit jacket and throwing it on the armchair. 

“Don’t blame me if it wrinkles.” There was a teasing note to Michelle’s voice and as he turned to look at her, he felt some of his irritation drain away. She was curled up on the couch, legs tucked underneath her, already changed into yoga pants and a t-shirt that had once been his but that she’d long since claimed for her own. Her face was free of make up, her hair worn loose around her shoulders, making her look more like a college student than a decorated FBI agent. As he watched, her smile grew impish. “This time,” she added and it was enough to make him chuckle. “That’s better.” She patted the couch beside her. “Come. Sit. Tell me everything.” 

He pulled his tie off before doing as he was told. “You heard what Jane did.” Once sitting next to her, he undid the top two buttons of his shirt before starting in on his sleeves. 

Michelle rolled her eyes. “The whole office heard what Jane did.” Her tone was dry, the one she often used when she reminded him that one of the best things about not working on his team anymore was not having to put up with Jane’s schemes. 

Cho concentrated on rolling up shirt sleeves. “You’d think I’d be used to it by now. The end justifying the means.” 

“But it’s different when the buck stops with you.”

As always Michelle understood him completely. “Yeah.” He looked over at her then, shaking his head at her sympathetic expression. “I thought having Lisbon and the kids would calm him down... it’s actually made him worse. Like he wants to make the world a better place for them, one criminal at a time.” 

Michelle shrugged. “There are worse reasons to do what we do.”

Knowing that she was right, and that she hadn’t been in California during the Red John years, Cho didn’t touch that one. “I’m just glad to be home,” he said instead. “For a nice, quiet night in. No more surprises.” He lifted his arm, dropped it around her shoulders, intending to pull her close for a kiss. He stopped when he saw her bite her lip. “Michelle?” 

She held his gaze for a long moment, then shifted, turning around on the couch and leaning over, reaching down over the side. When she turned back to him, there was a small, shiny, silver wrapped box in her hand. 

“You got me a gift?” She nodded, but didn’t otherwise respond. “It’s not my birthday... did I forget an anniversary?” That got a shake of the head. “You realise how weird it is that I’m doing all the talking here, right?” 

Michelle laughed, dropping the box onto his knee. “Just open it.” 

He did. 

He frowned at first, not sure of what he was seeing, just that it was a lump of navy blue material, yellow stitching along the fold. Then it made sense to him and he forced suddenly numb fingers to wrap around the soft fabric, forced suddenly leaden arms to hold up the tiniest FBI t-shirt he’d ever seen in his life, an exact replica of the one Michelle was currently wearing. 

His heart hammering in his chest, he was speechless as he turned to look at her. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she whispered, “Surprise?”

He let the t-shirt fall back into the box, his eyes zeroing in on her stomach. “Yeah?” He was whispering too and she nodded, taking one of his hands in both of hers and bringing it to rest on her stomach. 

“Yeah.” 

“But the doctors... they said it would be a miracle...” Because of the shooting and internal injuries and surgeries and scar tissue, their chances had been one in a million and with odds like that, they hadn’t exactly been careful. Of course, with their track record, they probably should have known better. 

“I know.” A single tear tracked down Michelle’s cheek and Cho reached up to brush it away, let his hand linger there. Michelle leaned into the touch, her eyes never leaving his, searching his face for the answer to the question she was about to ask. “Are you happy?” 

The noise that left Cho’s lips was somewhere between a gasp and a sob. “Sweetheart,” he told her, and she would have known he was serious when that was what he called her, “I have never been happier.” 

He kissed her then, one hand still pressed against her stomach and she giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips curling up against his in the sweetest smile he’d ever felt. 

And just then, in that moment, Kimball Cho understood Patrick Jane perfectly.


End file.
